Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-07-05
INFLUENCE OF TREES.
A Consideration OF Their Relation
Houses and Individual Health.

luC npcCldl ISSUE VI tiic Onllcu OJulc;
Agricultural Department on forestry
and many other contributions, have
shown how rainfall is affected, how thu
balance of tho atmosphere is disturbed
and how climate changes from the ex
tended and rapid removal OF forests.
There is another study of trees allied
TO this which has reference to their re-
lation to houses and to individual
health.
Both the atmosphere and the soil are
cooled and moistened by the presence
of trees. This results from the draw.
ing up of the water from the subsoil
and from the exclusion of the suns
rays. Besides this a considerable por-
ton of the rainfall collects on the
leaves and branches NJ Fantiat has
shown that the LEAKAGE of leaf-bear-
ing trees intcrcepts one-third, and that
OF pine trees one-half of the rainfall,
which is afterward returned to the at
mosphere by evaporation. On the
other hand, these same leaves and
branches restrain the evaporation
of tho water which reaches the
ground. This evaporation is
nearly four times less under a
mass of foliage in n forest and two and
one-third times under a mass of pines,
than in the OPEN" Then we have
stagnation of air from that interrupt
ton Of wind currents caused by tho
foliage. 1t is, therefore, not without
reason that the sanitaran studies the
trees of the yard or lawn in their bear
ing upon individual health. Persons
of susceptible lungs. or having any
tendency to rheumatism, need to BIO
carefully guarded against such in
fluenccs. Where the foliage is dense
about houses, or where the limbs over
shadow the piazzas or roof, they
become the storage places for damp,
unwholesome air. The falling leaves,
gathering from year to year,
give a corresponding dampness to the
soil. while at time of foliage the sun
shine is measurably excluded. 1t is
pretty evident that mankind was not
intended TO be reared in the woods.
The influence of trees in causing
malaria, or in SO intercepting it as to
have 1t tarry among them. has long
been known. "a dry garden on
gravel, Of three acres in extent, in
Surrey, surrounded by trees is gener-
ally three or six degrees colder than
the open common beyond the trees;
and large pond in a pine wood
tweaty miles from London afforded
skating for ninety consecutive days in
the winter of 1856, while during tho
greater part of the time the lakes in
the London parks were free from ice. "
We know with what interest the
lover of trees watches the growth of
those planted by his own hand and
how many are apt to be scattered about
the new home mansion. As years go
on. and their growth and foliage in
crease, the owner is 10th to remove
them or severely to shorten their
II so. there is great dam
ger that the dry soil and once comfort
able home will como TO be the dampcst
and least desirable spot in the neigh
borhood. A recent careful writer has
given the following sensible direction 1
as to tree-planting as it bears upon
inc conditions of health: "a tree
should not stand so near house,
hat If it were to fall it
would fall upon the house; or, in
other words, the trunk should be as far
rom the house as the height of tho
.ree. Belts of trees may be planted on
he north and east aspects of houses.
but on the east side the trees should
not be so near, nor SO high as TO keep
he morning sun from the bedroom
windows in the shorter days of the
rear On the south and west aspects
If houses. isolated trees only should be
permitted, so that there may be FREQ
lccess of the sunshine and of tho west |
Winds 10 the house and grounds. High |
walls and palings on these aspects are
u , opJeo''oliaoic anu .shou,u DC re-
'i,ceu " FENCES, Of ne'.er sun oy open
'"iihss' especially II inc houses are
'ooupiou eu.ins 'ne i''ii o, tic ieai anu
Il 'no winter irees ior piahtns
nouiu W CHOSEN IN the ioiioWnS OF
Ter: Conifers, birch, acacia, beech,
,'N' ein' ilme anu poplar for our
MONIES we mus. add tho
maple inc ASH ana the tulip tree, or
poplar although the dense
oliage OF inc maple Is sometimes OBJ
ecuohap'c. rine trees coiiect inc
,reatese amount OF rainfall ana permit
ne Ireest evaporation from inc
round, whlle their branches stems
ner Inc least degree OF resistance
2 inc iateral circulation OF inc
IL Acacias, OAKS ana pirches
re late 70 burst INTO leai
no therefore, allow the ground 10 DO
, 'lIs py tno sun rays y me early